It appears the Grizzlies might be finding their footing under rookie head coach Dave Joerger. At the very least they’ve begun to dig out of their early hole, winning four straight games — all on the road, the last two over the Clippers and Golden State — to move past .500.

The Grizzlies’ hot streak coincides with the resurgence of low-post pillar Zach Randolph. He’s averaging 24.3 points and 12 rebounds in that span, with at least 20 and 10 in all four games. With Marc Gasol and Mike Conley also enjoying quality seasons, Memphis is moving in the right direction.

Depth, however, remains a problem. No other player is scoring double figures, with only Tony Allen (9.5 ppg) coming close. It’s an issue the Grizzlies can overcome when their defense is at peak level. When it’s not, they have a tough time winning. Same as it ever was.

Where the Grizzlies excel

Few teams do a better job at dictating tempo. The Grizzlies play at the league’s slowest pace, all the better to overcome a severe lack of firepower. That goes hand in hand with their defense, which has improved to 13th in efficiency after a slow start. With Gasol and Randolph still a load on the glass, Memphis ranks second in defensive rebounding.

Where the Grizzlies struggle

Free agent pickup Mike Miller has played as hoped, making 45.2 percent of his 3-pointers. But he’s only one player, and an aging one at that. Even with his help the Grizzlies still rank among the league’s worst teams from distance: 29th in makes, with less than five per game, and 27th in accuracy at 31.6 percent.

Key matchup

The Spurs have dominated Randolph since the 2011 playoffs, holding him to just 11.2 points per game on 33-percent shooting in 11 meetings. But with his recent hot streak, he might be primed to finally break out. Tiago Splitter, one of the most effective and underrated interior defenders in the NBA, will have much of the responsibility in preventing that.